Author: Stan Cox

What did God name His church?  Do we know? Does it matter? Turns out it has significant consequences, and an understanding of these matters is of significance!

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Hebrews 3:7-19 has some very important thoughts regarding Our call to be faithful to God.  The reason for our call, the consequence of unfaithfulness, and instructions on how to be faithful to Him.

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In Romans 1 the apostle Paul wrote about a society (the Romans) who didn’t like to think about God. They “suppressed the truth” (18), “they did not glorify Him as God, nor were they thankful” (21), they “changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man” (23), they “exchanged the truth of God for the lie” (25). Paul summarized their attitude by writing, “they did not like to retain God in their knowledge” (28). He made it clear to his readers that because they acted this way, God “gave them over” to the debasement they preferred (28).

This has happened many times throughout history. It happened in Israel. Hosea recorded God as saying, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I also will reject you from being priest for Me; because you have forgotten the law of your God, I also will forget your children” (4:6). I dare say that this is a large cultural problem in our day as well. Continue reading “Some Just Don’t Like Thinking About God” →

Peter here calls for love of your brethren in Christ. Not just any love — love that is sincere (unhypocritical) and pure (singular, without any corrupting influence).

The reason Peter gives for this love is a response to our redemption through Jesus Christ. Being “born again.” Here though, he emphasizes the gospel of Jesus Christ, a gospel that he describes as “the word of God which lives and abides forever.”

This word is the incorruptible (imperishable) seed that brings about conversion. Paul agrees with this assessment saying in Romans 1:16, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek.”

Put in a nutshell: God has delivered for us the perfect vehicle to save us. The death, burial and resurrection His only begotten Son! As this is proclaimed, it brings faith to men, and salvation. As we receive this great gift, our response must be love for one another!

The phrase salty language in our time has reference to crude or angry speech.  Since sailors have a reputation for such —  cussing like a sailor. The salt in the ocean gives us the image from which the phrase has its origin.

In scripture there is also a reference to salty language or speech, but it is a positive one.  For example, in Colossians 2:5-6 Paul exhorted, “Walk in wisdom toward those who are outside, redeeming the time. Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one.” In Paul’s reference the speech that should be characteristic of the child of God is that which is gracious and wise, seasoned with truth and a beneficial relevance to those who hear.

As with all things Christian, it is speech that emanates from a place of love. As the Lord’s people, our desire and action should be to improve mankind. Things like anger, malice, profanity, innuendo, bitterness, lying, gossip, slander etc., do nothing for others, and so should be absent from our conversation!

“But now you yourselves are to put off all these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth.  Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds, and have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him” (Colossians 3:8-10).

A discussion of Judges 7:2, noting the danger of self-exaltation and forgetting our dependence upon the Lord.

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There is an interesting passage in Romans 13:11-14, which describes our preparation for eternity in the presence of God.  Paul wrote, “And do this, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed. The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light. Let us walk properly, as in the day, not in revelry and drunkenness, not in lewdness and lust, not in strife and envy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts.”

The text clearly indicates the imperative of preparation. It also shows that Christian preparation is found in holy living and obedience to God. Paul uses phrases such as “cast off the works of darkness”, “put on the armor of light,” “walk properly,” a walk not characterized by “revelry and drunkenness” … “lewdness and lust” … “strife and envy.” Finally, to make “no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts.” Continue reading “Put on Christ” →

The prophetic book titled “Jonah” begins with a command of God to the prophet. “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry out against it; for their wickedness has come up before Me.” We are familiar with Jonah’s response.  Instead of obeying the voice of God, “Jonah arose to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord. He went down to Joppa, and found a ship going to Tarshish; so he paid the fare, and went down into it, to go with them to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord” (2:3).

Tarshish was the opposite direction from Nineveh.  But there is nothing in scripture that indicates that God is not to be found there. It is doubtful that Jonah, a prophet of God, really thought that he could flee to a place where God could not reach him. In Psalm 139, David wrote:

“Where can I go from Your Spirit?
Or where can I flee from Your presence?
If I ascend into heaven, You are there;
If I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there.
If I take the wings of the morning,
And dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,
Even there Your hand shall lead me,
And Your right hand shall hold me.”

                                                                         (7-10)     Continue reading ““From the Presence of the Lord”” →

Here James continues his denunciation of the showing of partiality. Prosperity was the basis of separation in this context. James showed the foolishness of dishonoring the poor man by pointing out that God had chosen the poor of the world to be “rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom” (5).

In contrast, the rich often are the cause of our own oppression. How peculiar it is for us to court those who have no concern or care for us.  And yet, it is a typical thing both then and now.

In verses 8 and 9 of the text, James makes a typical application of the call God makes to love one another. He refers to it as the “royal law according to the scripture” and notes that it is required by God. It is in fact, that upon which the entire law of God hangs (cf. Matthew 22:40).

So to show partiality (racism, ageism, sexism, disdain for the poor, etc.) is to show a lack of love. This is a violation of God’s commands, and convicts a Christian of sin against Him.

In Deuteronomy 23:3-4, God punished the Ammonites and Moabites for their opposition to Israel by denying any of them entrance into the assembly of God. At the time of Nehemiah, the remnant in Israel read from the Book of Moses, and rediscovered this decree. Nehemiah 13:1 reads, “So it was, when they had heard the Law, that they separated all the mixed multitude from Israel.”

Under Moses’ law, Israel was the chosen people of God. Their consecration secured the genealogy of the Savior, and prepared the world for the fulfillment of God’s scheme of redeeming man. As Paul wrote in Galatians 3, “Therefore the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor.”

Today it is the Christian who is chosen by God, and separated from the world. Paul refers to Christians as inward Jews, whose “circumcision is that of the heart” (Romans 2:29).

Although Christians can come from every nation, it remains important that we separate ourselves from the world, through holiness. God’s promise remains, this time to us, as Paul instructed us, “Come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord… and I will receive you. I will be a Father to you, and you shall be My sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty” (2 Corinthians 6:17-18).

A discussion of Philippians 4:1-9, noting various exhortations Paul gave to the Christians there.

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A discussion of Matthew 24:42-51, discussing Christ’s reference to the second coming.  Application is made, noting the urgency of our preparation (for various reasons) for that coming.

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We are familiar with the two sons of Abraham, Ishmael and Isaac. Ishmael was born to Sarah’s handmaiden, as she gave Hagar to Abraham as a wife. Isaac was the son of promise. The one God promised to Abraham and Sarah as their heir, and the beginning of His fulfillment of the promises He made to them.

In Galatians 4 the Holy Spirit revealed through the pen of Paul that the two sons of Abraham represent something else. Two covenants. As Ishmael was born of a bondwoman according to the flesh, he represents the first covenant “from Mount Sinai which gives birth to bondage” (25). In this metaphor, we have a bondwoman (Hagar) representing Mount Sinai, and her son (Ishmael) corresponding to fleshly Jerusalem, which under the Old Covenant, remained in bondage.

In contrast, “the Jerusalem above is free, which is the mother of us all” (26). Here Sarah is the freewoman who coincides with that Jerusalem which is above. Therefore her children, represented by Isaac, are free. In that she is “the mother of us all” (26), this text clearly establishes the all encompassing nature of the New Covenant of Christ. As Paul wrote earlier in the book, “For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise” (3:26-29). Continue reading “The Old and New Covenants” →

We are to mimic our Lord in faithfulness. Christ was faithful to His Father, and the Holy Spirit calls for us to be faithful. Israel is given as an example here, but an example to avoid rather than follow. They rebelled against God, and it cost an entire generation their inheritance in the land of promise. God said, “So I swore in My wrath, they shall not enter My rest” (11, cf. Psalm 95:11).

The rebellion of the Jews is well described, “They always go astray in their heart, and they have not known my ways” (10). This is a problem in every generation. Men determine to do their own will, often because they do not even know God’s, but often because they ignore God because they prefer their own way.

We must not be guilty of the same. We must not depart from God, which He categorizes as an “evil heart of unbelief” (12). Instead, our call to be Christians is a call to faithfulness. We are to “hold our steadfastness to the end” (14). This is the Holy Spirit’s description of partaking of Christ!

“Therefore be imitators of God as dear children. And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma” (Ephesians 5:1-2).

The idea of imitating God can be a bit daunting. While we know that we can never attain the pristine heights of God’s righteousness, He nevertheless requires that we do the best we can. The idea is effort, change, commitment. And it is amazing what we can accomplish regarding holiness if we put our hearts and wills to it!

There are two major points here. The first is simple —  walk in love. That is encompassed in the keeping of God’s commandments, and treating others with kindness and benevolence in accord with their needs.

The second point is found in verses 3-7. We must avoid sin.  As verses 8-11 say, “For you were once in darkness, but now you are light in the world. Walk as children of light (for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth), finding out what is acceptable to the Lord. And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them.”

This is simple to understand. God is for love, and against unrighteousness. To be His, we must be as well!